Digital Youth Crisis: Moving Beyond Social Media Bans 📱

• Global vs Local Context: Australia's proposed ban on social media for under-16s highlights global anxieties over cyberbullying and addictive algorithms. In Sri Lanka, regional research by think-tank LIRNEasia suggests media and information literacy (MIL) training is a highly effective, proactive countermeasure to digital harms. • The Physical Space Vacuum: Adolescents increasingly use platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp because modern urban environments lack physical social spaces. While elite schools offer after-school activities, schools in lower-income areas of Colombo often sit deserted after hours, leaving children isolated at home. • Key Recommendations for Sri Lanka: Repurposing Infrastructure: Transform public schools into safe community hubs after hours (sports, arts, ICT/BPM or robotics) to rebuild physical social ecology cost-effectively. Curriculum Integration: LIRNEasia strongly recommends integrating MIL into formal education curricula alongside targeted training for parents. Adult Behavioral Change: Parents must address their own screen addiction, establishing healthy boundaries (e.g., screen-free family time from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM).